Warrenton, VA - June 19, 2008 - If you're like most people, it happens every day: Somebody in your house forgets to turn out the lights in a room, sometimes for hours. The result is energy waste. Literally, wasted money.

Fortunately, homeowners can install vacancy sensors, devices that replace standard toggle switches and automatically turn the lights off if they're accidentally left on -resulting in high energy savings, a quick payback and instant environmental benefits -according to a new whitepaper published by the Home Lighting Control Alliance on its website, www.homelightingcontrol.org.

"After California updated its energy code in 2005, recognizing vacancy sensors as an alternative to high -efficacy (fluorescent) lighting in many rooms, manufacturers began offering a wide range of products, features and aesthetic looks to satisfy virtually any need in the home," says Carlos Villalobos, product manager for Watt Stopper/Legrand, a member of HLCA.

He adds, "For every switch that is replaced by a vacancy sensor, carbon dioxide emitted into the environment is reduced," says Villalobos. "If 100 million households were to control just one 60W bulb with one vacancy sensor, this would represent almost 500 million kWh in energy savings -about $50 million per year at the average U.S. residential rate of about 10 cents per kWh -and a reduction of almost a billion pounds of carbon dioxide." Most bathroom vanity fixtures have 4 -5 60W bulbs.

The Home Lighting Control Alliance is a consortium of leading lighting control manufacturers, systems integrators and industry support organizations. Its sole purpose is to promote the awareness, value and benefits of lighting control in residential applications.

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